Speed-indicator.



PATBNTED Nov. 6, i906.

W. H. JONES.

SPEED INDICATOR. APPMUATIN FILED M1145, V1906.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1A PATENTED NOV. 6, 1906.

W. H. JONES. SPEED INDICATOR.

APrLwATIoN FILED JAN.15. 1906.

2 sums-SHEET 2.

llllllllll/L lllllllllllllll `lll-lm l To aZZ'wh/om, it ntay concern:

UNITED sTATE's" PATENT OEEIOE. WILLIAM HERBERT JONES, or NEWTON, MASSACHUSETTS.4

A SPI-:E134INDlcm-on Be it known that I, WILLIAM -HERBERT JONES, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of Newton, in the county ofMiddlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Speed-Indicators, of-which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to speed-indicators and to such devicesthat are particularly designed for use on motor-carriages andother vehicles- 'Ihe object of the device is to afford a chauffeur or other driver a ready means of ascertaining the exact speed of the vehicle which he .is operating, so that, if he desires, he mayV at all times-keea'within the limit of speed provided by theilaw in the community in which he is traveling.

A further object is to bring to the View of the Operator at all times igures indicating the total lnumber of `miles traveled and other figures indicating the total number of miles traveled on each particular trip.

To accomplish these objects, certain combinations and arrangeu/ients of )arts have been effected, which will be rca ily understood by referencel to the'descl'iption of the drawings and to the claims to be hereinafter `Of the drawings, Figure. 1 re resents a plan of an indicator embodying t 1e features of this invention. Fig. `2-represents a vertical section of the same, the cutting on line 2 2 on Fig. 1.

being on line 3 3 on Fig. 2. Fig. 4 represents a sectional plan of the same, the cutting plane being on line 4 4 on Fig. 3. lilig. 5 represents an inverted sectional plan, the cutting plane being on line 5 5 on F1 .3 and Fig. 6 represents a detailed' view o the dc vice for operating the odometer.

Similar characters designate like arts throughout the several figures of the raw-.

ings.

In the drawings, 10k re resents a casing the up er end rvof which is c osed -by the plate 1 1 to t 1e u )per surface of which is secured a dial 12. 'lllie dial/12 is protected by means of the glass member 13, held in position by the annular ring ",14, secured by suitable screws l5to ears'ilf, forming a part of the casing 10. 'llie opposite end of the casing l10 is provided with a hub 17, in which is mount- Specieation of Letters Patent. Application-filed January 15,1906. .Serial No. 296.007.4

' of which it is desired to ascertain.

plane being. Fig. 3 represents a`` transverse vertical section, the cutting plane.

Patented Nev. e, 1906.

ble shaft or other member may be secured ed a revoluble member 18. `The member 1 8 is provided with a hole 19, by which a fleXlthereto to cause the revolution of said mem.

ber 18, the opposite end of said flexible shaft or other member being operated by the wheel of a carriage or other device the s eed As t ese connecting members are common to all speedindicators and form no part of the present invention, they are not shown in the draw- 1n s.

lhe revoluble member 18 has secured thereto, so as to be revoluble therewith,-the

member 20 and themember 21, freely movable lengthwise of said revolubleA member.

Each of the members 20 21 `is provided With l a pair of radiating arms, to which are pivoted at 22 23 the links 24 25,- which in turn are pivoted together at 26 and have mounted u on said ivots 26 Weighted members 27. T e slidab e member21 is provided with a tubular hub 28, encircling the evoluble member or shaft 18, and surrounding this tubular hub and interposed betweenthe fixed member 20 and the slidable member 21 is a coiled spring 29, normally tending to separate said members 20 21. Resting upon the upper end of the slidable member 21 is a mem er 30, pivoted at 31 toa bracket32, the end of said bracket having securedthereto a spring the mem er 30 to retain it in contact withv the slidable member 21. It is obvious that when the revoluble shaft or member 18 is at rest the various elements are in the position '33, 'the o posite end of which is secured to shown in `the drawings; but as soon as a ro- 5 tary'motion is im arted to said-shaft 18 centrifugal action wi l cause the weighted members-'27 to move outwardly, causing" the space Y between the members 20 21 to be decreased and permitting the tension of the spring 33 to act` upon the ivoted member 30'to move it downwardly a )out its pivot 31. The tension ofthe spring 33 is substantially the same as that of the s )ring '29, the -excess of tension in the latter being only sufficient to normally retain the members`20 21 separated.

This centrifugal mechanismoperating upon the pivoted member 30 is utilized to operate the speed-hand 34, as will behereinafterde-l scribed. l

The hand 34 is secured to and -revoluble with a spindle 35, mounted in suitable bear-l ings inv the Itransverse platev 36 and the roo IIO

bracket 37 and has mounted thereon, so as to be revoluble therewith, between said bearings, the'grooved drum 38, said drum being provided with a peripheral spiral groove. A flexible member, such as a cord or wire39, is placed in the groove in said drum7 encircling the same, and one end thereof passes over the sheave 40 and is secured to the'free end of the spring 41, secured to the plate 36 at 42, While theV other end of said flexible member or cord passes under the sheave 43, over the sheave '44', and is connected to the outer end of the member 3() at 45. The purpose of the spring 41 is to care for the slack in the cord 39 as it passes from the sheave 40. The tension of the springs 29 33 is so regulated that they are practically balanced, with the tension of the spring 29 slightly the greater, so as normally to retain the hand 34 at the Zero-point 46 on said dial 12 when the revoluble shaft 13 is at rest.

It is obvious that the tension of the spring 33 must be less than the tension of the spring 29, so that said spring 29 will be able to overcome any tendency on the part of the spring 33 to move the member 30 about its pivot 31 until the centrifugal action takes place to compress the spring 29 to cause the member 21 to move longitudinally of the revoluble shaft 18. The tension of the spring v33 will then be permitted to act upon said pivoted member 30 to cause it to moveabout its pivot 31, thereby moving the flexible member or cord 39 against the tension of the spring 41, this movement of vthe 'flexible member or cord 39 causing a movement of the spindle 35 to move thehand 34 o of the zero on the dial 12 about its axis to a point that will indicate by suitable markings upon said dial the exact speed of the vehicle to which said indicator isattached. Itis obvious that as soon as the speed decreases the weighted members 27 will move toward the axis of the revoluble member 18, returning the various parts toward their normal position until the shaft 18 ceases to revolve, lat which time the hand 34 will havev returned 'to its zero position, as indicated at 46.

The upper end of the revoluble member or shaft 1'8 has secured thereto a pinion 47, which meshes into a gear 48, mounted upon a Short revoluble stud 49, having a suitable bearing in the plate 36. The upper face of said gear 48 is provided with a spiral projecting lip or flange 50, the upper edge 51 of which has a gradually-increasing pitch. This flange or lip engages with the star-Wheel -52 upon the operating-shaft 0f an odometer 53 lof any' Well-known construction, said odometer being provided with the total-trip register 54, operated by said'star-wheel 52, and the trip-register 55, operated therefrom in the usual manner. The pitch of the edge 51 of said spiral lip 50 is so regulated that as one end of said spiral leaves a tooth of said star-wheel 52 it has moved it into a position to insure the other end of said spiral aerurately engaging the next tooth of said wheel.

By this mechanism a simple and very effective indicator is secured which aeeurately registers the speed of the vehicle to which it is attached, while under the same glass and inclosed in the same casing the total-mile register and the trip-register are exposed to the View of the operator.

It is believed that the advantages of such a construction, simplified as it is and so ell'eet# ive in its operation, are so obvious as to need no further description, and it is believed that from the foregoing description the operation of the invention will bc thoroughly understood.

l. ln a speed-indicator, the combination of a dial; a hand therefor; a 'revoluble shaft; centrifugal mechanism including a spring revoluble. with said shaft; a spring-refuteted member movable lengthwise of said shaft against the tension of said spring by the spring of said centrifugal mechanism: and means interposed between said member and hand for actuating the latter by the operation of the former.

2. In a speed-indicator, the combination of a dial; a hand therefor; a revoluble shaft; centrifugal mechanism revoluble with said shaft including aspring surrounding said shaft; a spring-retracted member movable lengthwise of said shaft against the tension of said spring by the spring el' said centrifugal mechanism; a revoluble member upon which said hand is mounted; a flexible member encircling said revoluble member and secured at one end to said spring-retracted member; and a spring secured to the opposite end ofA said flexible member and coperating with the spring-retracted member to normally vmaintain the hand at zero on said dial.

3. In a speed-indicator, the combination of a dial; a hand therefor; a revoluble shaft; centrifugal mechanism revoluble with said shaft; a pivoted member movable endwise of said shaft and moved in one direction by a spring; a second spring of slightly less tension to move said member in the opposite direction; centrifugal mechanism for overcoming the tension of the first spring and permitting the second spring to act; a revoluble member upon which said hand is mounted; a spring; and a flexible member interposed between the free end of said spring and the free end of said pivoted member and encircling said revoluble hand member 4. In a speed-indicator, the combination of a dial; a hand therefor; arevoluble shaft; spring-controlled centrifugal mechanism rev oluble with said shaft; a pivoted member movable endwise of said shaft and moved in one direction by the spring of said centrifugal mechanism; a spring to retain said mem- IOS ber in contact with said centrifugal mechanism, said spring being of slightly less tension than the spring of said centrifugal mechanism; a revoluble member upon which said.

hand is mounted; a drum'secured thereto and provided with a spiral groove; a spring; anda flexible member interposed between the free end of said spring and the freeend of said pivoted member and encircling said revoluble hand member.

5. In a speed-indicator, the combination of a d ial; a hand therefor; vspring mechanism coperating therewith 'to move it about said dial;` and centrifugal mechanism normally extended b"y a'spring to retain said hand at zero and adapted to operate against the tension of said spring to permit the said spring mechanism to move the hand from its normal position.

'6. AIn a speed-indicator, the'combination of a dial; a hand therefor; a revoluble member upon which said hand is mounted; spring mechanism cooperating therewith for moving said hand about said dial; and centrifugal mechanism normally extended by a spring to retain said hand at'zero and adapted to operate against the tension of said springA to permit the said spring mechanism to move the hand from its normal position.

7. In a speed-indicator, the combination of a dial; a hand therefor; a revoluble meme ber upon which said. hand is mounted; spring mechanism cooperating therewith for moving said hand aboutsaid dial; a revoluble shaft; and means cooperating therewith for normally retaining said hand at zero and adapted to operate upon the revolution of said shaft to permit the said spring mechan-A ism to move the hand from its normal position. l f

S. In'a speed-indicator, the combination with a dial and its coperating'hand; of spring mechanism adapted to move said hand about said dial; a revoluble shaft; and

mechanism including a spring mounted upon said revoluble shaft and adapted to normally retain said hand at zero on said dial and to coperate with said spring mechanism during -the revolution of said shaft to permit 1t to move said hand out of its normal posltion.

9. In a speed-indicator, the combinatlon of a dial; a hand therefor; a revoluble member upon which said hand is mounted; a revoluble shaft; centrifugal mechanism including a member adapted to move longitudinally along said shaft springs actuating sald member in either direction, the tension of the one operating against said centrifugal mechanism slightly exceeding the tension of the other and mechanism interposed between the hand-supporting revoluble member 'and said slidable member whereby the movement of said hand is 'controlled by the l longitudinal movement of the latter.

10. In a speed-indicator, the combination of a dial; a hand therefor; a revoluble member upon which said hand is mounted; a revoluble shaft;centrifugal mechanism including a member slidable upon said revoluble shaft and revolving therewith; a spring 'sur-` rounding said shaft tending to move said member longitudinally of said shaft in one direction; a pivoted member cooperating with said slidable member; a spring secured thereto tending to move said slidable member inthe opposite direction; and mechanism interposed between the hand-supporting revoluble member and said slidable member whereby the movement ofgsaid hand is controlled by the longitudinal movement of the latter.

Signed by me at Boston; Massachusetts, this-12th day of January; 1906.

WILLIAM HERBERT JONES.

Witnesses:

EDNA C. CLEVELAND, WALTER E. LOMBARD. 

